


Epilogue: Whispers

by Legume_Shadow



Series: Whispers (Prequels to the Echoes Series) [15]
Category: Peacemaker Kurogane, Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-03-15 23:00:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3465206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legume_Shadow/pseuds/Legume_Shadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Spring 1864, and in the aftermath of all that has happened, it is a new beginning as two young men take their first wild steps on paths that will eventually cross in the future.  With Okita guiding Tetsu through the den of demons, and Kenshin in the midst of bringing about a new era with his sword, the Meiji revolution continues on...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Epilogue: Whispers

**Author's Note:**

> First Publishing: AO3, March 2015. All copyrights apply to the appropriate parties and no profit is being made from this fanwork.

**Epilogue: Whispers**

_Spring 1864_

 

The quiet _thunk_ of the water-filled bamboo hit the rock in the pond, indicating that it was time. With little fanfare, he slipped into the bright blue overcoat with white triangular mountain edgings on the bottom and sleeves decorating it. With his sword pair firmly by his side, and his hair knotted up in a high ponytail, he stepped out of his room, just as he heard a sleepy squeal behind him.

Turning around, Okita crouched and patted the little piglet on its head, giving the creature a sunny smile. Harada and Nagakura's patrol groups had stopped thieves from stealing the farmer's winter-preserved crops about a month ago. The piglet, its siblings, and mother had been a gift from one of the local farmers in the area, given to the Shinsengumi with grateful praise. However, the shadow of their deeds last year were still being cast, and it seemed that no matter what they did, the Shinsengumi could never fully escape what Serizawa had done.

The piglet squealed again before nudging his hand and wandered off. Though he usually placed the piglet back into its pen during the night, after today's encounter with one boisterous Ichimura Tetsunosuke, the piglet had been unusually fussy. He left little Saizo alone. Turning and leaving his room, he joined his fellow comrades in the First Unit as they acknowledged him with nods of their heads. Together, the group filtered out of the compound and headed towards their destination.

It was nearing the hours of the dog, and he could not help but wonder if Tetsu had actually gone to the alleyway near Wachigaiya in the Shimabara district. Shaking his head slightly, he refocused his thoughts as he and his unit continued to walk at a fast pace. The trap had been laid, but Okita had been worried that Hijikata would not be able to handle whatever was sprung at him when the time came. Though he had voiced his concern to his friend, Hijikata had dismissed it, saying that 'a bunch of gawking, lazy, southern samurai were no match'.

Still... he felt that he needed to support Hijikata in whatever actions he took, especially since he still felt ashamed after Hijikata's admonishment for what he had done last year. Causing Hijikata grief was the one thing that he did not want to do, for he greatly admired and looked up to the man. The only way he knew how to repair their relationship was to ensure that he never did disobey any order from Hijikata ever again.

The screams of a young man snapped him out of his thoughts as he tightened his grip on his katana. When he and his unit turned the corner, he saw a headless body, with blood spraying in the air, fall back onto Tetsu.

“Tetsu-kun!” he yelled, hurrying over as he saw the wide-eyed shock coursing through the young man.

“O-Okita-san?” Tetsu stuttered as he managed to crawl out from under the headless body, partially covered and soaked in blood.

Seeing that the young man was not harmed anywhere and was just quite stunned at what had been wrought in the area by Hijikata's blade, Okita turned towards Hijikata, saying, “I suppose that you did not need us after all?”

“W-why?” Tetsu's hollow, terrified voice broke into the conversation.

“We knew everything,” Okita stated, as he saw Hijikata flicking the blood off of his blade as best as he could before sheathing it. Surveying the area, he noting just how elegantly messy each person, including the woman who had been used as bait by the Choshuu, had been killed. “They were using a woman from Choshuu to get close to Hijikata-san.”

However, as elegant of a slaughter it was, as the moon peeked out from the clouds, it bathed Hijikata in its light, and Okita saw that the vice-commander had not escaped from being splattered in the blood of the enemy. In the pale light, the vice-commander truly did look quite demonic, and it did not help that he was absolutely livid at Tetsu.

“Boy,” Hijikata growled, “Let me explain it so that you understand. The only thing here you'll learn is how to be a demon.”

Okita briefly closed his eyes for a moment as he turned away from Tetsu, taking a deep breath to calm his thoughts upon hearing Hijikata's words. It was all for the better, he had told himself earlier as he gave Tetsu the location of how this particular trap was to unfold. Hijikata was dead set against Ichimura Tetsunosuke joining up with them, and even though Okita had inferred as to the reason, he had not called out his friend on it... at least not yet.

If what had happened tonight did not drive the young man away from this den of demonic wolves, then nothing else that any of them could do, would. Tetsu's unbridled enthusiasm was something that was lacking in the group since the death of Serizawa. Though the fires and fallout from that had all been completely quashed, and their sponsorship by Lord Matsudaira confirmed, it seemed as if they were all just going about their duties in a fog.

He heard Hijikata turn as he opened his eyes again. As Hijikata left, Okita took one last look at Tetsu, knowing that there was nothing he could say to the young man to snap him out of the shocked fugue. The brutality of killing was something that had to be overcome on one's own. He hurried after Hijikata, hoping that one day, that whatever plagued the young man, Tetsu would be strong enough to overcome it.

* * *

_At the same time, on the other side of Kyoto..._

 

Kenshin took a deep breath before opening his eyes, pushing away all thoughts as he glanced up to see the moon disappear behind thick clouds. He did not need the moonlight, for his eyes were well-adjusted to the darkness, and for what he was about to execute, darkness would be his ally. Nestled in the shadows of the alleyway, he heard the voice of his quarry pass by him on the main street, mingling in with two others. The three of them sounded slightly drunk, but still alert enough.

Stepping out, he said in a curt tone, “You are Juubei Shigekura a Shogunate official of Kyoto?”

Three pairs of surprised eyes, laced with fearfulness turned back and stared at him, just as the moonlight peeked out from behind the clouds again. His target, the old man with a proper samurai topknot and greying hair, gave a start. However, one of the two bodyguards, both Mimiwarigumi from the looks of their clothes, narrowed his eyes and stepped protectively in front of the old man. The other, a slim, but youthful-looking man, was still staring at him in a mixture of fear and shock.

It didn't matter...it never mattered how many people tried to step in front of Kenshin's targets in a vain attempt to protect. They were all cut down, and with a trace of haughtiness that came from the righteousness that Katsura had implored onto him for what he was doing, he said, “I have no personal grudge against you, but you must die for the new era.”

“Who-who are you?” the first bodyguard nervously asked.

“Choshuu Ishinshishi, Hitokiri Battousai.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

FINI

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read this small prequel series. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I had in writing it. Originally, I was not going to write a prequel to Echoes, but as I developed the sequel to Remnants, I realized that the backstory was extensive and relevant to both the Rurouni Kenshin and Peacemaker Kurogane characters. Thus, this prequel series, if you will, was born. While not as extensively written in length and adventures as Echoes was, I hope it does help set the tone for things to come.
> 
> Of course, several things also inspired the prequel series, including: the 2010 NHK Taiga Drama: Ryomaden (I admit, that was the majority of where my inspiration came from), Hakuoki, and the three Rurouni Kenshin live-action movies (even though they are set in 1878, the fight scenes are still inspiring).
> 
> Finally, if you are reading the overarching series, Legends of the Revolution, in continuity order, your next series is Echoes. If you are reading this in posting order, please continue on to the final fic in the Legends of the Revolution series: Shadows.


End file.
